MaNan- She is to be Loved

Chapter 40- The ending!!

~Karma is one such tough word, for it can always come back to hit you in the back~

At MruNi's

"Whoa! What am I seeing?!" Nandini stared at The Murthys in astonishment. Her parents had a similar expression on their faces.

"Hey Bhagwan! Papa ji Yaha Kya kar rahe hai?" Shamishti held onto her head, before looking at her husband, almost in disbelief. "Aapne invite Kiya? Shekhar! You could have informed me. Ye Kaisa welcome diya humne unko?!"

She was about to move towards the Murthy men, when Shekhar held her hand. "Shona ne invite Kiya. Mein Kyu invite Karun inko? Kya lagtha hai Mera?"

Shamishti stared at her husband helplessly, before tightening her hold on his hand.

"Ye Tum dono keliye hain." Yashjeet took a box from Dharmendr to hand it over to Manik. "Hamare taraf se."

Manik smiled and accepted the gift, before bending down to touch Yashjeet's and his sons' feet to get blessings.

"I thought you wouldn't come." Manik said while staring at Nandini and then at Yashjeet. "I wouldn't have. If not for the voicemail invitation."

Nandini crooked her eyebrows at Yashjeet, who took a box from his pocket and forwarded it to her.

"This belongs to my Manji." Yashjeet said, hoping Nandini would accept it. "Oh you mean my Daadi." And she took it from him, nodding her head in approval.

"You won't open the box?" Yashjeet questioned, and Nandini only stared at him. "This belongs to my Daadi?" She questioned, and he nodded in affirmative. "So you accept me as your granddaughter?" Her next question left him blank faced.

"Kya? Jab mene Daadi kaha tho aapne mana nahi Kiya, tho Socha shaayad aapne accept Kiya mujhko." Nandini shrugged her shoulders, and Yashjeet stared on. "Tch, I forgot. Daadi ko apne kehne keliye mujhe Aapke acceptance ke zarurath thodi hai. Manjeet Murthy kisiko kaha koi bhav dethe hain!"

The youngsters let out soft chuckles hearing her, and Yashjeet stared at the younger version of his wife, in amusement.

"I do accept you as my granddaughter...now." Yashjeet said, earning gasps from people around. Shamishti's hold on Shekhar got tightened in anticipation of Yashjeet's behavior.

Nandini chuckled lightly. "Apna khoon tho apna hi hai. Kyu?" She stared at him and then at Shamishti who just knew what her daughter meant. She nodded in negative, asking her daughter to keep quiet. "Isiliye tho aap aaj thak Meri Ma ko accept nahi Kiya."

Shamishti shut her eyes tight and looked down. She knew her daughter wouldn't have a cordial relationship with her grandfather anytime soon, if she doesn't keep a check on her tongue.

"Ye taufa mene accept Kiya, kyunki Meri Daadi ke hain." Nandini stepped ahead to stand in front of Yashjeet. "Aur Mera Appa ne ye sikhaya ki I need to respect my elders. And my Ma taught me to forgive and forget. Mene tho aapko maaf zarur Kiya Lekin bhulna? Hmph! That's impossible, right?" She shook her head, before walking towards the small prayer area nearby where portraits of Gods were hung on the wall.

"Iske jagah Yaha hain." She kept the box near the large portrait of her grandmother, who was smiling widely in the picture. " Bohath izzat ke hakdhaar hona hai, to be in this place. And I respect your gift a lot. I realized that keeping grudges would only give you pain. Ye bohath der se hi Sahi Lekin Meri samaj mein aayi. And that's why..." She looked back at her grandfather, "I forgive you for hurting my Ma. I forgive you for hurting my family. But I will always remember that you don't want to accept my Ma."